Bars, clubs, restaurants, and venues in Hapjeong-dong.

Hapjeong-dong, Mapo-gu, Seoul, South Korea

Seoul, South Korea

Nightlife in Hapjeong 2024

Hapjeong is one of a cluster of neighborhoods that make up the center of the Mapo-gu District. Compared to adjacent Hongdae, the crowd in Hapjeong skews a bit older, and the atmosphere tends to be a bit calmer. 

A wide selection of unique cocktail bars and pochas, along with some unforgettable restaurants and even a few can't-miss clubs, make this neighborhood a necessary weekend stop for anyone looking to experience nightlife like a local.

Listen is a whiskey-focused bar with a wide selection of classic cocktails at a higher but fair price point. The interior is cozy and classy without being stuffy, and two large antique speakers pump out well-selected music, usually jazz, that helps to round out the atmosphere.

This Hapjeong outpost of one of the heavy hitters in Korea's craft brewery scene is a can't miss for beer lovers. The menu features a wide variety of rotating Seoul Brewery drafts as well as collaboration and visiting craft offerings. Their food menu also boasts homey bar favorites, including one of the best burgers in Seoul. This is the perfect spot for either evening drafts or a late night dinner.

Manpyong is one of the original players in Seoul's record bar scene, existing long before the vinyl trend. For DJs, spinning here is a rite of passage, and some of Seoul's most revered selectors (including Tiger Disco and Hasegawa Yohei) are regulars here. Check their instagram to see who's playing when, and plan your visit from there.

Horangi is Korean for 'tiger,' a motif that represents the vibrant, fiery energy of this neighborhood pocha. A beloved local institution, it may take some time to snag a table in the small corner space, but it's worth the wait. 

While the contemporary Korean fusion menu here is creative and well-executed, this cozy dining bar would likely not be of note if it weren't for the opening hours; 6pm to 6am every day except Sunday (only until 2am on Sunday - imagine that). 

Pair a few bottles of soju and/or beer with dishes that stray notably far from standard pocha fair - garlic scape stir fried pork (마늘쫑 고기볶음), sliced beef malatang (우삼겹 마라탕), and chicken feet with cilantro salad (고수무침과 닭발편육) are consistent favorites, or go with something lighter from their 'snack' menu, like nurungji (crispy toasted rice) served with cream cheese and marmalade (누룽지와 크립치즈).

Meng Geum Ryu is the best and probably only way to cap off a long night of partying with a dignified and admittedly delicious meal - and maybe a couple more cocktails. Try the sesame oil shrimp capellini with minari (들기름 새우 미나리 카펠리니), oysters and mushrooms grilled in butter (굴버터야키), or the hangover ramen (해장라면) off their special late night menu.

What would a nightlife guide be without a barbecue spot? What differentiates this spot from the several meat joints in the area is the quality of the cuts; pork is flown in from Jeju daily, and the domestic beef is rich and buttery. The dining area is also large and semi-outdoors, offering a quintessential Korean gogi experience.

A Hapjeong nightlife institution, largely supported by its proximity to downstairs neighbor Brown (more on that later). This fusion pocha works as a casual dinner stop or a post-club refuel. Their signature menu items are renowned for a reason - go for the beef and garlic fried rice (비프갈릭볶음밥), spicy brisket and vegetable stew (불차돌 전골), or my absolute favorite, the stir-fried cow intestines in two sauces (소막창 야채볶음). It'll impress even the most conservative eater, I promise.

For those that can handle spice, jjukkmi (쭈꾸미 - stir fried baby octopus with tteok, vegetables, and sometimes pork belly) is an often overlooked Korean delicacy, and that's a shame. The Han Jjukkumi is one of the more famous spots in Mapo-gu, and even if there's a bit of a wait, it's worth it. Don't miss out on fried rice after. 

More fusion! More drinks! If it works, it works. This low-key but bustling spot is a weekend favorite among locals and a foreign crowd alike. The menu features Korean staples offset with Chinese, Southeast Asian, and occasionally European influences. Mala noodles and their famous grilled mackerel mixed rice go perfectly with a cheap draft beer or one of their wines.  

This small branch of the new Mapo-only chain Mister Gyoza can either be a dinner place or a drinks place, depending on how you order. Cheap beers and sake are accompanied by a selection of similarly cheap dumplings and simple Japanese small plates. Their spicy shrimp wontons (매운새우완탕) and Tangsu Gyoza (탕수교자) are unique and tasty, but of course nothing beats the classic pan fried (야끼교자). If you can't find a seat in this one, head over to the original location in Seogyo-dong (미스타교자 서교동 본점). It's a little roomier and only a 10-15 minute walk away.

Mabuja is a father and son-owned barbecue spot famous for kimchi sampgyupsal (김치삼겹살), characterized here by huge piles of spicy, sour kimchi piled on a grill greased up by adjacent thick slabs of pork belly. What more is there to say? If kimchi and pork is what you're after, this is where you should be headed.

Now we're getting into real local territory. If you're looking for a quintessential late night pocha experience, this is it. Knock back a couple of bottles of soju, beer, makgeolli, or whatever, with a few more-than-competent anju. Even the Jjapagetti (짜파게티) is special here.

Brown is one of the longest standing, and few remaining, Hip Hop / RnB clubs in Seoul, let alone on this side of the city. Originally a hangout for locking dancers, the sizeable club space is often packed out from Thursday to Sunday as Hip Hop, Funk, Disco, RnB and other less-than-mainstream genres blast out the bass-heavy sound system. Perhaps because of the music selection, the gender ratio tends to skew male, though on Fridays and Saturdays there are so many people it's hard to predict what the breakdown will be. Entrance is free on Wednesdays, Thursdays, and Sundays, when Seoul legend DJ Soulscape regularly holds his longstanding 'Sunday Talk' party series.

- Macaroni Funky Club. Nowhere makes them cheaper or stronger.

- Dang or Deo Ku Pocha, if you want to really do it like a local.

- Brown for a more mainstream crowd, MFC for an eclectic mix.

Across the street from Brown, MFC is the funkier, weirder, arguably more fun option for anyone looking to blow off some steam, listen to a wide variety of music, and drink a lot of very strong, very cheap drinks. Full disclosure: I've been a regular DJ here for several years, and my subjective opinion is that this is the most fun place to spend a weekend night in Mapo-gu, if you have to choose only one. While it's technically more of a bar than a club (and as such is open every day), Fridays and Saturdays have live DJs packing the dance floor with broad peak times between 9:30pm and 3:00am. Fitting with the unique name, interior, and overall concept, the space is very welcoming of all backgrounds, orientations, and styles. In the spirit of an old-school disco, it's anything goes. We normally spin Disco, Soul, Funk, Hip Hop, RnB, and House. And to reiterate, the drinks are irresponsibly cheap and unreasonably strong.

Techno and harder electronic genres are more the domain of Itaewon, but Hapjeong is lucky to have Vurt to round out the neighborhood's club selection. Right around the corner from Brown and Macaroni, this small basement space opens at 11pm and cranks out dark, four-to-the-floor powered grooves until early the next morning. 

Run was opened in 2021 by a French guy who owned a beloved crepe restaurant nearby. Despite the restaurant having an authentic Bretagne-inspired interior and menu to match, the owner's love of Dub Reggae and sound system culture saw him holding regular floor-shaking parties there that made the cops his most frequent guests. Naturally it made sense for him to move that part of the business to a proper club space. While the crepe restaurant is no longer, Run regularly invites primarily electronic DJs, as well as several with a more global flavor (their South African House nights are regularly packed). Run probably offers the most well-rounded, non-EDM electronic club experience in Mapo, with a clear appeal to the tastes of contemporary, globally-minded European patrons. 

This is relatively the most mainstream club in the list and probably most similar to the standard Hongdae or even Apgujeong clubbing experience. It's a very small space but fills up with younger patrons who like Trap, Drill, UK Garage and other electronic, intense sounds. Granted, you're not likely to hear top 40s here, unless it's an obscure Soundcloud remix. Several main Apgujeong and Itaewon DJs make regular appearances here, so it's a cool spot to get a taste of other neighborhoods' styles without leaving Mapo.

Nightlife in Hapjeong 2024

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